Guide to Safe Scouting

[TAHAWK]

Sure.

 

"BSA is totally blind to the situation and sees nothing."

 

B.S.A. does not equal every single person who is employed by B.S.A. or is a Scouting volunteer.  

 

On top of human failings, there is the bubble problem: B.S.A. consists of various groups who often don't communicate, as illustrated above with the G2SS vs. B.S.A. publications advocating very large, quite heavy swords.  One could site the contradictory advice on water purification, what to wear in sunny weather, or dish-washing. Some see and some do not.

 

Not to mention how B.S.A. safety rules are generally received here.  

 

What I saw this Summer was the chlorine and plastic gloves (a nice blue) come out when a kid threw up in the dinning hall at camp.  I have no idea what the National Camping School teaches, only what I saw.

 

This (or substantially this) is in several camp manuals (source?):

 

"Blood and Body Fluids

 

Minimize your contact with blood or ANY body fluids, including urine, feces, nasal and eye discharges, saliva or vomit. Advise Health Lodge staff if you have been exposed to another person’s blood or other body fluids. Universal Precautions with regard to Blood and Body Fluids are: 

 

o Spills of body fluids should be cleaned up immediately.

o Reduce contact with contaminated material by using gloves, hand brooms or other techniques to avoid touching the spill directly. o Be careful not to splash contaminated material in eyes, nose or mouth. o Blood contaminated material shall be disposed of in a plastic bag with a secure tie, or a Zip Loc type plastic bag.

o Clean any visible excess fluid from surface with an absorbent paper towel.

o Wet spray entire surface with bleach solution (¼ cup chlorine bleach to 2 ¼ cups of water (1 to 9 solution), made fresh daily).

o Let stand for two minutes. You may let the surface air dry or you may wipe dry after two minutes.

o Remove gloves carefully and wash hands thoroughly with soap and water when finished.

o Floors, rugs and carpeting that have been contaminated by body fluids shall be cleaned by blotting to remove the fluid as quickly as possible, then sanitize by spot cleaning with soap and/or disinfectant or steam cleaned/shampooing the surface.

o Mops or other equipment that is used to clean up spills should be cleaned with soap and water and rinsed with a disinfectant solution, wrung dry as possible and allowed to air dry. If you have any doubt or questions on how to handle a cleanup please notify your Director or the Health Lodge for instructions/assistance."

 

From Scouting.org:

"Protection Consideration for Blood and Bodily Fluids (Universal Precautions)

Treat all blood and bodily fluids as if they were contaminated with blood-borne viruses (i.e., HIV, hepatitis). Do not use bare hands to stop bleeding; always use a protective barrier, and always wash exposed skin areas for at least 15 seconds with soap and water immediately after treating a victim. Consequently, the following personal protective equipment (PPE) must be included in all first-aid kits and used when rendering first aid:

• Nonlatex gloves to be used when stopping bleeding or dressing wounds.
• A mouth barrier device for rendering rescue breathing or CPR.
• Plastic goggles or eye protection to prevent a victim’s blood from getting into a rescuer’s eyes in the event of serious bleeding.
• Antiseptic for use in cleaning exposed skin areas, particularly if there is no soap or water available.

Clean any blood and bodily fluid spills with an appropriate disinfecting solution, such as 10 parts water to one part bleach.

Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) regulations for blood-borne pathogens (29 CFR Section 1910.1030) apply to health-care professions employed by local councils to staff camp health facilities or to fulfill health officer or lifeguard functions at BSA camps. In addition, all designated responders, identified in the local council’s medical emergency response plan, are affected by the regulations. Visit www.osha.gov."

[Stosh]

And how often are the boys taught to disinfect the broom used to sweep out the latrines each day?  Are there gloves provided to do this with?  Bleach provided?  Is any of this even discussed in the troops as part of their camp preparation? 

 

50 years ago a very close friend of mine died as a result of a disease contracted at the very same camp I attended this past summer.  I don't see 50 years of progress to keep that from happening again and I don't see G2SS addressing the issue either.  That's the blindness I refer to.

 

As a national statistic, out of every 330 safety infractions, the person will "get away with it" 300 times.  There will be injury in 29 of those events and one death.  Is that acceptable to BSA?

[Sentinel947]

We went to Camp Tuscarora in New York.  On check in my son asked about the sheath knives, throwing knives and throwing tomahawks we had packed.  The ranger said, "if they are legal for the BSA, they are legal here."

 

I typically carry a Ontario RD-7 and my son carries a Becker BK-9 when we go backpacking.  The cool factor more than compensates for the extra weight.

The ultra light purist in me just cringed thinking it.. lol

[TAHAWK]

Now that we have documented the fact that B.S.A. is not  " totally blind to the situation and sees nothing," how about you start a thread suggesting additional safety and health rules and practices?  I am sure something constructive would result.

[Stosh]

Fair enough, I'll put it under I&P where everyone can see it.

[NJCubScouter]

Fair enough, I'll put it under I&P where everyone can see it.

I know that's a swipe at me because I said more people see posts in I and P. I only said it because it is true. The statistics are right there in front of us.

 

Nevertheless, if it were really about health and safety it belongs in Open Discussion.

[Stosh]

I know of people who are so paranoid that they can't watch football because every time the team huddled up, they thought they were talking about them.  Keep it in mind, that's not always the case when the team huddles up.

[NJCubScouter]

I know of people who are so paranoid that they can't watch football because every time the team huddled up, they thought they were talking about them.  Keep it in mind, that's not always the case when the team huddles up.

That's funny, but it doesn't apply here.

[Hedgehog]

This is the  one I want!

 

http://www.kabar.com/knives/detail/228

 

 

Now I know what to get my son for Christmas.

 

 

The ultra light purist in me just cringed thinking it.. lol

Yeah, but that means I don't need a shelter, food or a stove.

 

But seriously, I don't carry it on longer treks - if it is 3 days and 6 to 8 miles a day the extra pound isn't a big deal. If it if five days and 12 plus miles a day, the. I just have my Gerber Paraframe.

[5yearscouter]

An awesome update has been published for your reading pleasure.  

 

http://www.scouting.org/scoutsource/HealthandSafety/GSS/toc.aspx

 

Enjoy,

 

RichardB

It would be really nice if all scouting volunteers would get a notice when changes are made to documents like the GTSS or GTA

[NJCubScouter]

It would, but let's not look a gift horse in the mouth, as the saying goes. For the low low price of joining this forum (that is, nothing, except for the half-second it takes to glance at an ad and then move on to the posts) we have the national director of health and safety coming on here to post updates for us. I'm not sure you would get that with other organizations, or other BSA executives for that matter. (We don't have the national director of advancement on here, probably because he knows what's good for him. )

Edited August 12, 2016 by NJCubScouter

[TAHAWK]

Two BSA publications on wilderness survival, The Complete Wilderness Training Manual, 2d. ed. rev. (DK Publishing, 2007)  and The Survival Handbook,  Essential Skills for Outdoor Adventure, suggest carrying short swords.

 

Boys' Life in June, 2008, and June, 2016 specifically advocate shortish sheath knives.

 

 It's the bubble problem yet again.  Left hand doesn't know what the right hand is doing.

 

And NOW!

 

BSA is selling sheath knives again after a gap of twenty-five years.  http://www.scoutstuff.org/bsa/camping/knives-accessories.html

[desertrat77]

And NOW!

 

BSA is selling sheath knives again after a gap of twenty-five years.  http://www.scoutstuff.org/bsa/camping/knives-accessories.html

 

I think that's great news.

Edited July 2, 2017 by desertrat77

[AltadenaCraig]

And NOW!

 

BSA is selling sheath knives again after a gap of twenty-five years.  http://www.scoutstuff.org/bsa/camping/knives-accessories.html

I tried the link, but it took me to a blank page. Bad link, or did BSA pull the item?

[TAHAWK]

When I looked minutes ago, two of the three sheath knives are no longer listed.  The Gaupe was still listed.  

 

Now, the three are still there when I check Camping/Knives

 

Hopefully, this will now work:  http://www.scoutstuff.org/bsa/camping/knives-accessories.html

 

Ed: works for me: GT; Harding; Gaupe

Edited July 4, 2017 by TAHAWK